THE PHENOMENON OF ISLAMIC LITERATURE AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATING MUSLİM IN INDONESIA (A REFLECTION TO INCREASE THE VERBAL INTELLIGENCE)

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1 THE PHENOMENON OF ISLAMIC LITERATURE AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATING MUSLİM IN INDONESIA (A REFLECTION TO INCREASE THE VERBAL INTELLIGENCE) Eka Yulianti Bachelor of Religion, Master Candidate in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies - University of Indonesia, Indonesia, ekayuliantisalim@yahoo.co.id Sponsored by Indonesia Endowment for Education (LPDP) Ministry of Finance Republic of Indonesia Abstract Generally, there s a lot of tool and way to educate people, one of them is Islamic literature. Islam and literature are two captivating element to collaborate. Literature has a beautiful language which could entertain the reader. Then Islam enters to the literature as a science. When Islam is combined with the literature, so it such as something alive. Islam and literature like one soul and body, breathe, and doing a movement. In Indonesia, Islamic literature has been exist since 14th century coincide with the spread of Islam in Archipelago. However on that era, the educational processes through Islamic literature still on the reading activity. With thus, the Indonesian Muslim s society who will be educated through Islamic literature are only worked at the circle of Muslims who like the activity of reading. Nowadays, Islamic literature in Indonesia more develop than before. How popular is it, the Islamic literature such as Islamic novels who written by the Indonesian Muslim's writer now has been made into the movie. One of the Indonesian famous Muslim s writer, he is Habiburrahman El-Shirazy, most of his novels has been made into movies, like Ayat- Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) which is published on 2004, then it has been made into a movie on His other novels like Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (When Love Glorifies God) which is published on 2007 also has been made into a movie on 2009, and Dalam Mihrab Cinta (In Mihrab s Love) which is published on 2010 also has been made into a movie in the same year, Beside Habiburrahman El-Shirazy, there are Asma Nadia who her novels are not only made into movies, but it also has been made into drama in television, Hanum Salsabila Rais who all of her novels based on true story and its background on the abroad also has been made into the movies. Then, Ahmad Fuady, Helvy Tiana Rosa, ect, who most of their novels also has been made into the movies. This phenomenon is what makes Islamic literature as a tool for educating Muslim in Indonesia. If in the classic era, Islamic literature only educates the Muslim who like reading activity, however in the contemporer era like nowadays, Islamic literature has success entering the film s world, so the range of educational processes through Islamic literature become wider. The aims of this research are to describe about how Islam educates the Muslim s reader through the art of literature. Besides that, the aim is also to support the Indonesian Muslim s writer to keep productive in creating the art of literature which has an Islamic nuance in order to create the religious and broadminded s society. Study of this research is through investigation's activity from research s result which is concerning to the topic. The conclusion of this research is showing that Islamic literature is not only about the divinity, however it is also cover about the humanity. Islamic literature guides the human to hold on to the humanity ISBN:

2 values, good manners values, honesty, simplicity, and patience to face the life. These values are crucial for human in this contemporer era like nowadays, where the values have been scarce. The educational processes through Islamic literature by inserting the text of Al-Qur an and Hadith could cover all circles, not only Indonesian Muslims who like reading Islamic literature that will be educated, but also the society who prefers the activity of watching will be educated too, because the popularity of Islamic literature in Indonesia nowadays has penetrating the film s world. Keyword: Islam, Literature, Education, Verbal, Intelligence. 1. INTRODUCTION Book is the window of world; it is an intermediary between human and knowledge. Reading activity can save the brain in order to constant active, so it could be functioned well. No doubt if someone who frequently reading the book, must be that person has many knowledge. So far, to absorb the knowledge, the book which is usually read by people are such as school s book, or the book basic on research, paper, international journal, newspaper, ect. However, when a literature like a novel which is the content is not only serve the story, but also contains many of knowledge and humanity values, then the role of literature be more comprehensive in educate the reader. In one side, literature can entertain the reader with its beautiful and interest grammatical. In another side, literature is also a media of knowledge teaching. Here, literature will look excellent to read. According to the title of this research, the phenomenon of Islamic literature as a tool for educating Muslim in Indonesia. Islam is a religion which has Al-Qur an as a base. Al-Qur an has a gorgeous grammatical and full of meaning. Al-Quran is not only describe about Allah who the great One, but it also rich of knowlede such as science which cover how the process of creating the human from a drop of semen, astrology, law, economi, history, ect. When the literature serve the story which contains the knowledge based on Al-Qur an, so the educational processes through the Islamic literature will not only makes the reader be more broadminded of knowledge, but it will also guides the reader for more loving and remembering the creator of this world, Allah SWT. Here will be seen clearly that literature and religon has a close correlation. David Hill Radclife said in his book with the tittle Romanticism and Genre: Theory and Practice, there s a lot of value in religion which could be taken by people in generally, especially for the literature lovers. Concerning with this things, literature need the other knowledge in developing and increasing of its content quality. A literature will only be useful if it concerned with the other factors in outside of literature. 1 It exactly if the literature and Islam doing collaborate become a literature which educate the Muslims. The actvity of reading Islamic literature like a novel which the content has the knowledge by inserting the text of Al-Qur an and Hadith as a base will make the reader like diving while drinking the water. When most of people feel dull with the method of Islamic knowledge teaching through the studies, seminar, speech, ect, however the Islamic literature presents innovatively to guide the reader for reading the complicated story which could be solved by the law of God, that s Al-Qur an and Hadith. Indonesia which majority of Muslims has a lot of circulate the Islamic literature such as an Islamic novels. It has been a main consumption of the Indonesian reader, especially Muslims. So popular is it, the Islamic novels who written by Indonesian famous Muslim s writers now has been made into movies. Of course, the magnet of its attractiveness are the grammatical, literature, knowledge, good values, and Islam. Some examples of Islamic literature which is be renowned nowadays are Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) and Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (When Love Glorifies God) who written by Habiburrahman El-Shirazy, 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (99 Lights in the Sky of Europe) and Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika (Split Moon in the Saky of America) who written by Hanum Salsabila Rais, Assalamu alaikum Beijing and Love Sparks in Korea who written by Asma Nadia, and many others of Islamic novels who written by other Indonesian Muslim s writers. There is a quote said that You are what you read! and you are what you watch!, like a doctor who frequently read the medical book, or a lawyer who frequently read the book concerning to the law, or a chef who frequently read the book of food recipe, ect. Islamic literature presents cover all profession. When the Islamic literature able to create itself become the main reading of a society, so the role of Islamic literature as 1 David Hill Radcliffe, Romanticism and Genre: Theory and Practice, Eighteenth-Century Life, Vol. 36, No. 1, December 2012., 1. ISBN:

3 a teacher and character building has success. For that, Islamic literature in Indonesia nowadays has occupy the respected position, because Islamic literature is an exactly and innovative media in educating the contemporer Muslims. 2. CONTENT 2.1 Islamic Literature Literature came from Sanskrit language which mean a writing. In opinion of Usman Effendy, the definition of literature is a human creation in oral or writing language which could inflict the good feeling. So, the writing which is lesson or report are not include in literature because it s not inflict the good feeling. 2 As one of Indonesian writer, in my opinion, literature is a writing which has good grammatical and beautiful expression. Literature has an excellence such as the language originality, it has its own characteristic which describe who is the writer, and it has high artistic value. While the Islamic literature is an art literature which is a result from the merger between culture and religon, that is Islam. It is an art based on Islamic value which is contain the morality and aesthetic. Islamic literature come as a media of da wah which there are 7 characteristic in it, that s: consistency, message, universal, clear, based on reality, optimist, and complete the human morals. 3 There are 3 general condition to name it as an Islamic literature, in this things is Islamic novel, that s : 1) the writer is a Muslim who realize and responsible in his or her religion purity. 2) the result of his or her art creative should be in accordance with the Islamic value and it should not be in contradiction with the Islamic law. 3) the art has a creativeness, universal, and it could be useful for all society, because Islam ia a natural tendency s religion. 4 Islamic prominent figure like Qutub and An-Nadawiy explain that Islamic literature is a gorgeous illustration about the entire, life, human, and all these entire world shape. The object zone of art and Islamic literature covers all life zone which is said by soul and it explored with full of faith. 5 However, Islamic literature is not the rival of west literature, because west literature also has an Islamic literature such as a part of Goethe s art who believe to the One God, the majesty of Al-Qur an, and the prophecy of Muhammad saw. 6 Al-Qur an which is wrote by Allah SWT is an art of literature with the grammatical as if poetry, prose, and poem. Whereas, the language of Al-Qur an is not the language of poetry, prose, or poem, but indeed that is the type of Al-Qur an which has high class language, and indeed that is the grammatical of Alqur an. In Al- Qur an, the concept of Islamic literature explained in surah Asyu ara verse : Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend upon every sinful liar. The pass on what is heard, and most of them are liars. And the poets (only) the deviators follow them; do you not see that in every valley they roam and that they say what they do not do? Except those (poets) who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allah often and defend (the Muslims) after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what (kind of) return they will be returned. Those verse illustrates the two type of poets, that is the poet who descend upon every sinful liar and the poet who believe and do righteous deeds, and remember Allah often and defend the Muslim after they wronged. This second poet who illustrated in QS. Asyu ara has a close correlation with the Islamic literature which has the Islamic nuance, breathe the faith, and good deed, as soon as making the Al-Qur an and Hadith as an inspiration source and refer to the poetic creativity. Islamic literature which is refer to the Al-Qur an and Hadith will produce an art of literature which is look like obvious to applicate in dayli life. Because of that, Islamic literature able to educate the reader. 2.2 Novel as a Literature In the dictionary of literature technical, novel has a meaning of a kind of prose which is contain the element of personage, slot, background, setting, which is story about a human life based on the writer perspective. It has a value of life and it written with the analogy technique and the soul as a basic of the writing process 2 J.S. Badudu, The Essence of Indonesian Literature, (Bandung: CV Pustaka Prima, 1984), cet XXXIV, page Dr. Ala al-mozayyen on the Seminar of International Islamic Literature, 15 of March 2011, Jakarta State Institute. 4 Asep Supriadi, The Transformasi of Islamic Teaching s Values in Ayat-Ayat Cinta by Habiburrahman El-Shirazy: Study of Intertext, A Thesis, University of Diponegoro, 2006, 15. Accessed on 23 of December See: 5 Bani Sudarti and Hanifah Hikmawati, The Development of Islamic Literature s Concept, a Journal, page Sudarti and Hanifah Hikmawati, The Development of Islamic Literature s Concept, a Journal, page. 31. ISBN:

4 convention. 7 A novelist will write a story based on his or her experience or the other human experience. For that, novel called as one shape of literature art, because actually literature born from the human activities. From that activities, a novelist can process the language according to his or her own grammatical and special characteristic, of course with the beautiful and interest language. 2.3 Islamic Literature in Indonesia Islam came to Indonesia brought the significant alteration in many sectors, especially in literature sector. The alteration gave the big result to the development of the script and literature art in Archipelago. That things is a shape of the acculturation between Indonesian cultural with the Islamic cultural, so it could make an art shape which is contain the Islamic theory named Islamic literature. 8 The art of Islamic literature in Indonesia has been exist since 14th century coincide with the spread of Islamic influence in Archipelago which is mastered by Islamic sultanate. Before that, because Indonesia on that era was still has Malay, so it renowned as Islamic Malay literature. The Islamic literature personage on that time were Hamzah Fansuri, Nukhari Al-Jauhari, Syamsudin Sumatrani, Nuruddin Al-Raniri. 9 They used literature as a media of Islamic values teaching. For examples : History of Amir Hamzah which is story about the uncle of prophet Muhammad, and History of Muhammad Hanafiyyah which is story about a hero of Syi ah, that was a descendant of Ali, and still many others of history and the art of literature which has an Islamic element in it. However on that era, the educational processes through the Islamic literature was still on reading activity. For that, the Indonesian Muslim s society who educated through Islamic literature were only in the circle of people who like the activity of reading. But nowadays, Islamic literature in Indonesia more develop swiftly than before. The Muslim s writers who create the art of Islamic literature increasingly more every year. The contemporer Islamc literature personage nowadays be hold on Habiburrahman El-Shirazy who has create many qualified Islamic novels, such as : Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (When Love Glorifies God), Bumi Cinta (The World of Love), Dalam Mihrab Cinta (In Mihrab s Love), Cinta Suci Zahrana (The Holy Love of Zahrana), ect. All his novels has been made into the movies with millions of viewer. It captivating to study, if Al-Qur an has an exceptional characteristic which is not only has a high class language, but also has one special characteristic which is make it become invincible with all the literature art in this world, that is Muqatha ah. The Letter of Muqatha ah is the letters which is often we find in the first surah, such as : Nuun, Qaf, Shad, Yasin, Thaha, Ha Mim, Tha Sin, Tha Sin Mim, Alif Lam Miim, Alif Lam Ra, Alif Lam Mim Ra, Alif Lam Mim Shad, Ha Mim Ain Sin Qaf, dan Kaf Haa Ya Ain Shad. The letters of Muqatha ah is a verse of Mutasyabihat, that is verse which is could not be translated by human, just Allah who knows the meaning of those letters. This is a special characteristic which is made by Allah in order that human always be devout and realize that Al-Qur an is a Book which is really written by Him. Back to the topic of Habiburrahman El-Shirazy who has many create the art of Islamic literature, his novel also has a special characteristic as if Al-Qur an. If we see in every tittle of his novels, all of that has the word of love : Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (When the Love Glorifies God), Bumi Cinta (The World of Love), Dalam Mihrab Cinta (In Mihrab s Love), Cinta Suci Zahrana (The Holy Love of Zahrana), ect. This is what makes Islamic literature looks like a magnet for the Muslim s reader in Indonesia. Besides that, there is also the famous Asma Nadia who has create a lot of Islamic novels such as : Assalamu alaikum Beijing!, Love Sparks in Korea, Surga Yang Tak Dirindukan (Unmissed Paradise), ect. Most of her novels have been made into the movies and television. Hanum Salsabila Rais, with her phenomenal novels, that is 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (99 Light in the Sky of Europe). Her other novels with the tittle Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika (Split Moon in the Sky of America) is also popular which is story about the tragedy in World Trade Center named 911 tragedy in America. Most of her novels has special characteristic, that is based on true story and its background on the abroad. All of her novels which have been made into the movies are success to take the attention of Indonesian Muslim s society. Islamic literature nowadays has been special characteristic of reading for the Indonesian Muslim s reader. 7 Abdul Rozak Zaidan, Anita K. Rustapa, dan Hani ah., Literature Technical Dictionary, (Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 2007), cet III, page Mohammad Anwar Syi aruddin, Literature and Religion : The Transformation of Islamic Teaching s Values in The Literature s Art, a Journal, page Ekarini Saraswwati, Personality in the Novel of Verses of Love and Rainbow Soldiers : Study of Sigmund Freud s Psychoanalyst, a Journal of Articulation Vol.12 No.2 August, 2011, 883. ISBN:

5 Indeed, not only people in Indonesia who like the activity of reading the Islamic literature such as novel, but by it made into the movies, the Indonesian society who prefer to the activity of watching than reading will be educated too. These things what makes the Indonesian society be more religious. 3 CONCLUSION The close correlation between literature and Islam is like a glass and water. Glass is literature which has the function as a container for water. While water is Islam. A glass will not be function intact if in that glass has not something to drink. For that, glass needs water in order that it could be more useful for everyone who want to use it. Islam as a pure water which is could erase the thirst. As an Islamic literature, it is a crucial element in life. Islamic literature is not only about the divinity, however it is also covering about the humanity. Islamic literature guides the human to hold on to the humanity values, good manners values, honesty, simplicity, and patience to face the life. These value is crucial for human in this contemporer era like nowadays, where the values has been scarce. Generally, there are three ways to da wah, that is : da wah bil lisan (da wah with speech), da wah bil hal (da wah with doing something good in order that the others will follow it), and da wah bl kitabah (da wah with the book). The development of Islamic literature which is quickly in Indonesia makes a lot of positive alteration. One of them is excessively emerge the new writers who create the Islamic novels. For that, more and more also the Indonesian Muslim s society who applicate the system of Fastabiqul Khairat, that is doing compate in the goodness, because Islamic literature is one of media for teaching through the book. Islamic literature by inserting the text of Al-Qur an and Hadith will cover all society circle, not only Indonesian society who like the activity of reading the Islamic literature that will be educated, but the seciety who prefers the activity of watching also will be educated too by the values of Islamic teaching, because the popularity of Islamic literature in Indonesia nowadays has penetrating the film s world as a media for da wah with audio visual method. REFERENCE LIST Radcliffe, David Hill, (2012), Romanticism and Genre: Theory and Practice, Eighteenth-Century Life, Vol. 36, No. 1, December Badudu, J.S, (1984), Sari Kesusasteraan Indonesia (The Essence of Indonesian Literature), (Bandung: CV Pustaka Prima. Supriadi, Asep, (2006), Transformasi Nilai-Nilai Ajaran Islam dalam Ayat-Ayat Cinta Karya Habiburrahman El-Shirazy: Kajian Interteks. (The Transformation of Islamic Teaching s Values in Verses of Love by Habiburrahman El-Shirazy: Study of Intertext), A Thesis, University of Diponegoro, Accessed on 23 of December, See: Sudarti, Bani. Hikmawati, Hanifah: Perkembangan Konsep Sastra Islam (The Development of Islamic Literature s Concept), a Journal. Zaidan, Abdul Rozak., Rustapa, Anita K., Hani ah, (2007), Kamus Istilah Sastra (Literature Technical Dictionary), (Jakarta: Balai Pustaka). Anwar Syi aruddin, Mohammad., Sastra dan Agama : Transformasi Nilai-Nilai Ajaran Islam Dalam Karya Sastra, (Literature and Religion : The Transformation of Islamic Teaching s Values in The Literature s Art), a Journal. Saraswati, Ekarini., (2011), Pribadi Dalam Novel Ayat-Ayat Cinta dan Laskar Pelangi : Telaah Psikoanalisis Sigmund Freud, (Personality in the Novel of Verses of Love and Rainbow Soldiers : Study of Sigmund Freud s Psychoanalyst), a Journal of Articulation Vol.12 No.2 August ISBN: